Stopper for ladles.



No. 668.450; Pafented Feb. l9, I90l.

w. H. MbFADDEN.

STQPPER FOR LADLES. no amid.) I (4pp1ication filed Aug. 81, 1900.)

' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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WILLIAM H. MOFADDEN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO- THIRDSTO JAMES HEMPHILL, OF SAME PLACE, AND JAMES F. TRAOEY, OF SHERIDANVILLE,PENNSYLVANIA.

STOPPER FOR LADLES.

SPECIFIGATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 668,450, dated February19, 1901.

Application filed August 31, 1900. Serial No. 28,698. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. lVIOFAD- DEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have'invented or discovered certain new and usefulImprovements in Stoppers for Ladies, of which improvements the followingis a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements inmechanism for operating ladle-stoppers.

It is customary in the art to connect the ladle-stopper, which consistsof a rod having a refractory covering and end piece, rigidly to a slide,which in turn is mounted with the freedom of vertical movement upon theouter side of the ladle. By reason of this rigid movement great caremust be exercised in adjusting the stopper-rod, so that the end of thestopper will fit evenly and correctly in the discharge-opening of thebottom of the ladle. Although such adjustment can be edected when thestopper is first applied to the ladle or when the latter is relined, thestopper is apt to become twisted somewhat by the heat of the moltenmetal, so that in subsequent use the stopper will not bear evenly andtightly on its seatin the discharge-opening of the ladle, and when suchis the case there will be a constant dripping of the metal'from theladle.

The presentinvention has for its object a construction of stopper-rod orits operating mechanism whereby the stopper is truly centered in linewith the discharge-opening by the molten metal as it flows out and canaccommodate itself to any irregularities of the seat of the stopperaround the dischargeopening.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l is a view, partly in section and partly in elevation, of aladle having my improvement applied there to. Figs. 2 and 3 are views insection and elevation, respectively, illustrating the manner ofconnecting the stopper-rod to its operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is anunder side plan view of such connection. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectionalelevations on an enlarged scale, illustrating diiferent forms ormodifications of connections between the stopper-rod and the operatingmechanism. Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation of a further modification ofthe stopper-rod connection. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the same. Fig.9 is a sectional plan of the construction shown in Fig. 7, the plane ofsection being indicated by the line IX IX, Fig. 7. Figs. 10 and 11 show,respectively, a sectional elevation and a sectional plan view ofafurther modification of the stopper-rod connection. Fig. 12 is asectional elevation showing another modification. Figs. 13 and 14 aresectional elevations illustrating the application of my improvement toth stopper-operating mechanism.

In the practice of my invention the ladle l is constructed in the usualor any suitable manner and is provided with an outlet 2 through thebottom, preferably located near one side of the ladle.

The stopper, consisting of the rod 3, the end piece 4, and theprotectingsleeve 5, is constructed in the usual or any suitable manner.This rod is connected at its upper end by a loose joint (several formsof which are shown in the drawings) to an arm 6, which in turn issecured to post or standard '7, carried by the slide. This slide ismounted in suitable bearings formed on the plate 8, secured to the sideladle. This slide is adapted to be raised and lowered by means of alever 9, pivotally mounted on the plate 8 and having one end connectedto the slide 7. Suitable means are provided whereby the slide may beheld in its different positions-such, forexample, as that shown,consisting of wheel-nut 10, screwing onto a bolt 11, which passesthrough a slot in the slide '7 and is screwed to the plate 8.

One form of flexible connection between the stopper-rod and its shiftingmechanism is clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4 and consists of athreaded rod 12, which passes through a slot in the arm 6 and is held inposition by means of n uts 13. This rod is provided at its lower endwith a spherical head or ball 14, which is clamped between two plates 15and 16, provided with concave seats in their adjacent faces and heldtogether by means of bolts 17. The plate 16 is provided with a yoke 18,to which is firmly secured the upper end of the stopper-rod 3. Thisconstruction permits of a swinging movement of the rod 3 in anydirection independent of the rod-operating mechanism. In practice it ispreferred to limit the swinging movement of the stopper-rod, sothat itslower end will always be in such position relative to the conical seatformed at the inner end of the discharge-opening 2 that when presseddown the stopper will be guidedhy the inclined walls of the seat to acentral position thereon. A convenient means for limiting the swingingmovement of the stopper-rod consists in securing a plate or disk 19 onthe rod 12, the disk being held by means of the nut 20 in such positionrelative tothe plate 15 as to limit the swinging movements thereof. Asthe stopper-rod is of considerable length,a comparatively small movementof the clam ping-plates 15 and 16 on the spherical head will permit of aconsiderable movement of the lower end of the stopper-rod.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 a spherical head or ball 14 isformed on the end of the arm 6 of the operating mechanism, and aroundthis head are clamped plates 15 and 16 having their inner walls concaveto fit the spherical head. Through the plates and spherical head isformed an opening for the passage of the stopper-rod 3, which is held inposition by means of nuts 22, hearing against plates 15 and 16*, asshown. The hole or opening through the spherical head is enlarged ortapered from the center of such head, so as to permit of the oscillationof the rod 3 therein. The movement of the rod is limited, preferably, bymeans of an extension 24 on the end of the rod passing into an enlargedopening formed in the bracket 25 and bolted to the arm 6.

In the construction shown in Fig. 6 the arm 6 is formed with a head orenlargementi 14", having spherical seats, preferably con-. cave, formedin its upper and lower ends. Disks 26 and 26, having spherical faces,are? arranged at the opposite ends of the head 14", i and through thesedisks and the head 14 are formed openings for the passage of the stop-'per-rod 3, which is supported by the disk 26' through the medium of anut 27, screwing- The oscillating movement of the stopper-rod is limitedby the disk 26*,

onto the rod.

which is held in suitable relation to the lower end of the head 14 bythe nut 27.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 is shown a further modification or form ofconnection which consists of a disk or plate 28, provided on its uppersurface with the yoke 29, to which is secured a threaded rod 12adjustably attached to the arm 6 by means of nuts 13. A second plate 28is provided with a yoke 29 to which is secured the stopper-rod 3. Theplate 28 is provided on its under side with lugs 30, and the plate 28?is provided on its upper side with lugs 30*. These plates are soarranged that a line passing through the lugs on one plate will be atright angles to a line passing through the lugs on the other plate. Toeach of these lugs 30 and 30 are secured pins 31, which projectoutwardly between the two sections of ring 32. These sectionsareprovided in their adjacent faces with suitable seats for the receptionof the ends of these pins 31, and the rings are secured together bymeans of screws 33, which can be inserted through suitable holes in theplate 28, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. This construction is substantiallysimilar to the gimbal-joint.

In Figs. 10 and 11 the flexible connection between the stopper-rod andthe arm 6 is formed by two interlocking links 34 34, one of said linksbeing provided with a threaded stem 35, whereby it may be secured to thearm 6, and the other link with a yoke 36, to which is connected thestopper-rod 3. As clearly shown in said figures, these links are soconstructed as to have a limited movement on each other.

In Fig. 12 the stopper-rod 3 is provided at its upper end with aspherical head or ball 37, which is held in its seat 38, formed on theunder side of the arm 6*, by means of a plate 39, provided with aspherical seat and bolted to the arm 6.

In the construction shown in Fig. 13 the outer end of the arm 6 has oneof the clamping-plates 16 formed integral therewith and the rod 3,passing through the ball or head 14, which is provided with projections40, extending through the clamping-plates 16 and 15 The projections andthe holes through the plates 15 and 16 are so proportioned as to permita small vibration of the ball and stopper-rod.

As shown in Fig. 14, the arm 6 may be formed on or rigidly secured tothe stopperrod 3, and the flexible joint or connection may be interposedbetween the arm 6 and the post or standard 7, carried by the slide 7.Any one of the constructions hereinbefore described maybe employed forthis purpose as, for example, the flexible ,or universal joint shown inFig. 14 is similar to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive,but in reversed position.

It is characteristic of my improvement that as the molten metal willflow equally from all sides through the outlet when the stopper israised the latter will be held centrally above said opening or outlet bythe metal pressing against it from all sides and will maintain thestopper in such position until the flow of metal is cut off. It is alsocharacteristic of my improvement that in case the stopper orstopper-seat are irregular the stopper-rod will have sufficient movementto permit the stopper to seat itself.

I claim herein as my invention 1. The combination of a ladle having adischarge-opening in its bottom, a rod provided with a stopper at itslower end, mechanism for raising and lowering the stopper-rod, and aflexible connection permitting the stopper to swing in all directionsinterposed between the stopper-rod and its operating mechanism,

substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a ladle having a discharge-opening in its bottom,a rod provided with a stopper at its lower end, mechanism for raisingand lowering the stopper-rod, a universal joint interposed in theconnection between the stopper-rod and its operating mechanism, andmeans forlimiting the swinging movement of the stopper-rod,substantiallyas set forth.

3. The combination of a ladle having adischarge-opening in its bottom, arod provided with a stopper at its lower end, a slide mounted on theside of the ladle, an arm connected to said slide and a universal jointconnected to said arm and to the stopper-rod, substantially as setforth.

4:. A ladlestopper mechanism having in combination a rod provided with astopper at its lower end, a carrying-arm, a head or enlargementconnected to one of said part-s, clam ping-plates seen red to the otherpart, the bearing-faces of the head and the clampingplates being curvedand so arranged as to permit of a swinging of the stopper in alldirections, and means for raising and lowering said arm, substantiallyas set forth.

5. A ladle-stopper mechanism having in combination an arm having a heador enlargement provided at its upper end with a curved seat, a plate ordiskhavingacorrespondinglycurved face, a rod provided at its lower endwith a stopper and extending loosely through the head and connected tothe disk or plate, whereby the stopper-rod is permitted to swing in alldirections, and means for raising and lowering the arm, substantially asset forth.

6. A ladle-stopper mechanism having in combination an arm having a heador en- WILLIAM H. MOFADDEN.

Witnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLooT'r, F. E. GAITHER.

